-The Indian Sikh jatha comprising 600 people ready to leave for Pakistan for the 100th anniversary of ‘Saka Nankana Sahib’
-India denied permission
-Sikh community describes the denial as ‘sheer injustice’
DM Monitoring
Jalandhar: For the Sikh jatha comprising 600 people ready to leave for Pakistan for the 100th anniversary of the Nankana Sahib massacre or Saka Nankana Sahib, the denial of permission by the Central government at the eleventh hour has come as a rude shock.
A jatha is a group of Sikhs who meet formally or march in order to celebrate a religious event or to protest against or support something.
The pilgrims had been geared up for their visit. COVID-19 test had been done and all of them had tested negative. Security checks were clear. Visas were granted and people had reached the Golden Temple with their luggage to cross over to Pakistan from the Wagah border on February 17. The jatha was supposed to visit Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev, in Pakistan and some other gurdwaras from February 18 to 25, 2021.
However, on February 17, the joint director of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Avi Prakash sent a letter to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Bibi Jagir Kaur denying permission.
The letter cited “recent inputs” indicate a threat to the safety and security of Indian citizens visiting Pakistan. As the 600 member group was scheduled to visit five gurdwaras across Pakistan for a week, the letter said the government apprehend a “considerable threat” to the safety of a large number of our citizens during this visit.”
The letter further stated: “You may also be aware that traffic on India-Pakistan international border remains suspended since March 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic.
While, the pandemic continues to persist, it is pertinent to note that Pakistan has so far recorded over half a million cases with over 10,000 plus deaths, due to COVID-19.
Considering the capacity of health infrastructure in Pakistan, it is not advisable for a large group of our citizens to visit Pakistan for a week during the pandemic.”
Interestingly, a Sikh jatha had visited Nankana Sahib in November 2020.
